Through the Years
by Triden
Summary: AU! It's been almost 20 years since Harry had gone to live in America with no intentions on ever coming back. Will his 17 year-old son be able to reunite his father with his old friends? How about his old lover? Eventually HP/DM SLASH! Mentions of HP/CC.
1. Chapter 1

Through The Years  
Summery: AU! It's been almost 20 years since Harry had gone to live in America with no intentions on ever coming back. Will his 17 year-old son be able to reunite his father with his old friends? How about his old lover? Eventually HP/DM SLASH! Mentions of HP/CC. HG/RW. OC

"Dad?" The seventeen year-old nervously cleared his throat. His father, Harry Evans, looked up at him from his book.

"Yes, Conner?" The older man asked gently, sensing his son's discomfort. Conner swallowed and looked over at his father's concerned face.

"Why...why didn't you ever start dating again after mom?" The teen quickly cast his eyes to the plush carpet beneath his feet. "I mean, it wasn't like she was irreplaceable or anything." Conner muttered bitterly. His father chuckled.

"Well, if I had known that you had disliked her that much, I would have gotten rid of her a long time before I did." Conner frowned, pondering his father's teasing words.

"Dad, you divorced her right after I was born!" The older Evans man smirked and elbowed his son, trying to ease the frown from the teen's face with a gentle jest.

"At least I got the better end of the deal!"

"Dad, you paid her alimony for giving birth to me and then paid her off so you could get permanent custody! This isn't a joke, Dad! How much did I cost?"

Guilt settled heavily in Conner's gut when his father sighed and set his book down. Even as the older man stood and nodded in the direction of the hallway, indicating that Conner should follow him; Conner could only think about how much he just screwed up by hurting the person he loved the most.

Conner followed, wallowing in the guilt he felt for questioning his dad on his past. The past was rarely mentioned and for a good reason. Conner knew that the older man had left England because things became to painful to bare and, as the man's son, Conner didn't question why. He respected his dad and knew; whatever the reason, that it had been necessary.

Before he knew it, the two of them were standing by the small door of the cupboard under the stairs. Since ever before Conner could remember the cupboard had always been locked. A thick, steel padlock was firmly in place, as were several wards that could keep even a troll out.

So imagine Conner's confusion when all his father had to do was wave his fingers and the heavy padlock snapped open and fell to the floor with a dull thud.

The thin door was next; it splintered open with its rusty hinges creaking, causing small pieces of dust, dirt, and rotting wood to fall to the carpeted floor. His dad squatted down and gently, as if he were drawing a small, terrified child out of the dark and into his arms, pulled four cardboard boxes free.

Harry must have stayed motionless, his fingertips barely skimming over the closed flaps of the nearest box, for thirty seconds before he stood again and Conner was stunned to see traces of tears glimmering in his green eyes. The teen laid a light hand on his father's shoulder, a gesture of what he hoped would be perceived as comfort.

"Dad?" Harry shook his head, clearing the unshed tears and walked past him.

Conner looked back down at the boxes that had caused such a reaction with the man he considered to be made of steel and wondered what could possibly be in them that could do so. He was startled out of his reverie when he heard his father's soft voice.

"I'm sorry, Conner. Everything in those boxes should answer your questions."

Conner nodded and looked back down at the seemingly innocent cardboard sitting next to him. When his father continued in that gently, soothing voice of his, Conner looked back up, seeing nothing but love and devotion pouring from the man in front of him.

"Conner...just so you know, I would have given the world for you."

Conner blinked back tears from his own hazel eyes and whispered, "I know, Dad, I know."

Harry nodded in a sad sort of acceptance and proceeded into the next room. Pots and pans clanged together and Conner knew that he'd eat well tonight.

Whenever his dad would get upset, or excited, or depressed, or couldn't sleep(nightmares stilled plagued his dreams), or whatever; he would cook. His concoctions were mouth-watering at their worst and it was amazing to see the recipes he had improved upon.

There were even several thick cook books that were written and corrected in every margin and Conner had been tempted many times to enter Harry in one of those Chef reality shows, just to get his cooking out there. His father had smiled at his son's enthusiasm, but had steadfastly declined, saying he didn't want what he enjoyed, becoming his job.

Conner was sort of glad that he had been talked out of that idea because if his father cooked all day, would he want to come home and cook? Conner doubted it and plus, that ever- present scent of baking and cooking was one of the things that made the Evans household warm and...well...home.

Conner shook his head to clear his mind and brought it back to focus on the boxes that held all of his father's secret past.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for all the awesome reviews! They mean the world to me!

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Harry's thoughts went to Conner. His son had black hair that thankfully behaved and Harry's tanned skin. He was also two inches taller than Harry's 6'1 build, something he still hasn't shut up about.

Some people would say that Conner had Cho's eyes, but Conner's hazel eyes seemed brighter, more happy and loving than Cho's own hazel eyes had ever been.

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Conner picked up the first document which he reconized instantly as the divorce papers. His parents, Conner knew, had divorced eight months prior to his birth, barely a fews weeks after Cho had found out that she was pregnant. The custody battle; unfortunately, had waged on for another six months. His father had won and had demanded that Cho remain on the Evans estate until Conner was conceived.

The following divorce agreements were basically stating that Harry Evans would pay Cho Chang the one hundred thousand galleons they had agreed apon for three years of marriage and another twenty thousand galleons for each month she was pregnant with their son. She would also gain any one property, under the Evans name, of her choosing with a week for the removal of her property.

The next page was a copy of the custody battle. It had gone on for six months before they settled on who would gain custody of Conner. Originally, cho had wanted full custody with alimony per month and Harry would be able to see his son once a month when the alimony was due.

Conner growled low in his throat. He should have known, and apparantly his father had known, that all his mother needed was a bribe and she would drop the battle. Conner sat back stunned.

His father had paid Cho four million galleons in addition to the eighteen thousand for conceiving him, the one hundred thousand for three years of marriage, and the property, all of which were worth well over two million galleons a piece, of her choosing. Conner's father offered her that and now he had full custody of Conner, Cho could never see Conner unless Conner initiated it, and Cho wasn't allowed to step foot onto any property that harry owned. His mother was a gold- digging little bitch!

Conner couldn't believe that his father let her get away with all of that! Conner knew that he could have given her alot less and still won the custody battle. But Harry had wanted the custody battle done with before Conner was born. His father had always told him that he had married her because he had genuinely loved her, maybe not the way he could have, but the marriage had been comfortable before she got pregnant and had reveiled herself as the gold- digging bitch she was.

But Harry had never once said that he was sorry he had married her and had Conner. He was sorry that Conner could never have any siblings. After all he had gone through, first Cho and then moving to America, Harry was sorry that he couldn't give Conner anything better!

Conner already knew that he had the best of everything that he had ever wanted. Harry had raised Conner as a single parent and had wanted Conner's childhood to be of nothing but happy memories. At age eight, Conner had been enrolled at Salem Institution for the Magically Gifted, where Harry taught Muggle Studies. Conner had never taken any of his father's classes, afterall, he had grown up around muggles, Harry had insisted on it, but he heard that his dad's teaching was very fair and correct.

Even through Conner's outbursts, both magical and hormonal, he rarely raised his voice and never his hand. Since his dad had never laid a hand on him and had never kept something from him, the older wizard was allowed a secret in Conner's opinion. Apparantly he had chosen a pretty big one.

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I loved all of the encouragement for this story! I was actually just going to drop it because I had lost quite a bit of train of thought for it, but with all oft he reviews I think I'll turn it into like a five chapter fic or something...maybe something with a sequel down the road. Review please! 


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for all of the interest in this fic! Here's the next chapter.

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Conner knew that his father had left his past back at Hogwarts. He didn't know why, but he figured his father had a good reason.

The seventeen- year old spotted a stack of letters that were tied very securely with a length of black ribbon. He reached down and gently picked up the thick stack. Ever- so- carefully, Conner untied the frayed ribbon and leaned back against the wall, the thick parchment letters and notes cradled in his lap.

The first thing that he noticed was the elegant, but masculine script. The second; the quality of the emerald ink and parchment. The third; the utter care and fondness that each word on the page held toward their reader. Conner almost felt like he was intruding upon something so private that it was sacred.

_ 'Potty,_

_I need your help, I'm not asking for much... okay maybe it is a lot, but you're already his enemy, he can't hate you much more than he already does. I suppose you're going to want me to beg? Merlin, I hate you, you know that? I'm sure you do, never mind that._

_Please Potter, save my mother. She's all I have left. I'm being recruited. I don't want to, but my mother's life has been threatened if I don't go. I know you never knew your mother, but I'm sure you can guess my reaction to that._

_You have to get her out of here. I can spy for Dumbledore and be caste under a truth spell if you want, just get her to safety. She never agreed with my father, she'll side with you. Please help her._

_ Ferret'_

Conner could only assume his father helped "Ferret" out because the letters were much friendlier after that.

_'Snake,_

_I noticed that your were upset at lunch. I know something is wrong, Luv. Your friends don't seem to have noticed, but then again they don't... eh hem...study...you the way I do. Is the Weasel being an insufferable git again? Is Granger keeping him in line? Severus wanted me to tell you that...'_

Conner kept reading for most of an hour and the letters seemed to grow darker, but the emotion, support, and later love never stopped flowing from the written words. The letters were always signed one of three ways: D, Your Dragon, or Ferret. And the last two were perhaps the darkest and most desperate.

_ 'H,_

_Come and meet me in the Room of Requirement. We can train and perhaps talk? You need to escape your crazed fans and I need to spoil you. Harry, it's not your fault that there were casualties, it's not your fault for leaving me, and it's definitely not your fault for this war! Meet me at 11:00._

_ D'_

Conner frowned and reached for the second one.

_ 'Harry,_

_Please you have to understand. I didn't get to explain. Cho had set us up! She kissed me Harry. I didn't want her there, Merlin, I don't even know how she got into the Room. All I know was that she walked in, I told her to leave, she kissed me, I heard the door open and then your gasp. I knew in that moment what she had done._

_Harry, please, I have to see you and explain myself in person. I'm begging you, meet me in the Astronomy Tower tonight at 9:00. Please come, Harry. I love you._

_ Your Dragon'_

Conner put down the letter, stunned. His father and "D" had been in love and his mother had broken them apart. Conner had never really felt anger toward his mother, just bitterness and disappointment, but now... now Conner was mad. Conner knew that his father was bi and Conner couldn't care less as long as his father was happy.

He knew that his father had loved this other wizard, but why hadn't they gotten back together? Had his father even gone up to meet "D" one last time? Conner only knew that the letters had stopped after "D" had literally pleaded for his dad's forgiveness. So did that mean that his dad had never forgiven the man he had loved? Did his dad forget "D"? Somehow Conner doubted it.

Conner walked into the kitchen where his dad was finishing with their dinner.

"Dad?" Harry glanced up before looking back down at the pot he was stirring.

"Dad, what happened? Di you go back and meet him?" Conner saw the slight shake of his father's head and the tears silently gathering in his eyes.

"I regret it, but if it wouldn't have happened, I wouldn't have you. It all worked out for the best." Conner slid into his chair and watched dejectedly as his dad set the food on the table before excusing himself to his rooms. Conner sighed and dug his fork into one of the usually mouth- watering dishes, but found himself not enjoying it as much as he should.

His father had loved "D", then Conner brought it up, and now he had upset his dad; something he hated doing because it brought him gut- wrenching guilt when ever he did it. But he was determined to fix it this time. His dad deserved to be happy and "D" seemed like the best way to get there.

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LIke I said before, this story is not my first priority, but I do like it, so it will be finished.

Review please


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